Here’s a trick question: what’s funny? Who makes you laugh? Can anyone be funny?
Three comedians Mike Bonner, Melanie Hearn, and Jasen Magic, who we know and consider friends of “Live in the D”, joined What’s the Buzz with co-host Jason Carr.
Carr started with the question, “Do you find humor in everything, and does everything make you laugh in some way as a comedian?” Bonner believes that the darkest events in one’s life can also be the funniest. He believes that there is humor in everything and that everyone has a funny bone. Hearn agrees that you must find humor in the dark places and asserts that some of her best jokes come from breakups. Magic also says he finds humor in everything and that comedy can be offensive, but that’s what makes it funny.
Next, Carr asked, “Is the start to being funny being able to laugh at yourself?” Bonner says that the jokes start with him and that he can’t say anything funny about someone else without first making a joke about himself. Hearn says that she is the punchline of her own jokes and a part of the character at the beginning of the story. On the other hand, Magic says he is untouchable and will make jokes about other people for 30 minutes, but cannot take jokes about himself (of course he was joking).
“Can you teach someone to be funny or is it something that’s natural for people?,” asked Carr. Hearn says “yes,” you can teach people to be funny, but the delivery is extremely important. Bonner agrees and says that he was taught how to do comedy.
Last but not least, Carr asked, “As comedians is it hard for people to take you seriously sometimes?” The panelist agreed, saying, “absolutely, all the time.”
Watch the video above to see the full interview.